But Ben only laughed and said, with feeling: “Fuck yes, Lex.”
And then—thank the heavens—they reached solid ground again. This was a fortunate development, because Alexei’s watery legs almost gave out atFuck yes, Lex.
Ben released a weird noise from his throat, like he was either going to shout or vomit. He took off his hat and leaned forward onto his trekking poles, hanging his head between them.
Alexei looked at him for a few seconds. How the sun highlighted cinnamon highlights in the hair Alexei had previously thought only brown. How the muscles in the back of Ben’s neck were…present.
“Shit.” Ben looked up. “My legs are shaking. Can we rest for a second?”
Alexei looked at the muddy mess of a trail around them. He needed to rest, too, but there were no good options here. “Let’s walk for a bit more. We’ll go slow. Rest at the next decent spot.”
Ben nodded and stood, breathing out. “Okay.”
“See?” Alexei smiled at him while the fading adrenaline still gave him courage. “You did it.”
Ben smiled back, lopsided and relieved.
“I did.” And then, “You fucking saved my life again, man.”
Alexei blinked. After an awkward moment of not knowing what to say, he turned back to the trail. He hadn’t actually done much. Faraj likely would’ve gotten Ben across the snow faster.
He took a few steps down the trail.
“Hey,” Ben said. “Lex.”
Alexei stopped short. For some reason he’d thought the nickname had just been an adrenaline-fueled, trekking across a treacherous snowbank thing.
He turned.
“Thank you,” Ben said.
“Sure.” Alexei nodded.
“Sorry to tell you, but you’re stuck with me until Canada now,” Ben continued. “I am not doing that without you again.”
Alexei stared at him. Ben was still leaning on his poles, gathering his strength. Clearly, the lack of oxygen at this elevation was affecting his brain.
And then Alexei heard a familiar call. He listened, letting it calm his pulse before he tilted his chin toward the slope. “Mountain chickadees down there.”
Ben grinned. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. They’re everywhere.”
Alexei turned and walked until he heard the slosh of Ben’s trail runners stepping through the mud behind him. He did not think about that Canada comment, or the muscles in Ben’s neck, or the gap between his teeth.
Alexei walked down the ridge and thought very resolutely about nothing at all.
Chapter Four
An hour later, they came across a small clearing that offered dry logs to rest upon. Ben almost shouted with relief when he saw it.
Except one of the blessed logs was already occupied by a small woman with light brown skin and short dark hair, head bent over a large sketch pad.
“Hi,” Ben said gently, not wanting to startle her. “Do you mind if we join you?”
She did not look up from her drawing.
“Sure,” she said, voice flat.
